$7K Bible Goes Missing In eBay Transaction

A $7,000 antique Bible has reportedly gone missing after an accident following an eBay transaction back in September.

The Hebrew Bible, which dates back to the 16th Century, was being sold on eBay by Gene Albert, a religious artifacts collector living in Lynchburg, Virginia. Albert reportedly sent the Bible to purchaser Jacob Gestetner in Rochester, New York, but Gestetner claims to have never received the precious artifact.

Local media outlets report that Albert did not request a signature for the package or insure the package, reportedly saying that insuring the package would increase the risk that it would be stolen. The seller of the Bible is now saying that either Gestetner has the Bible and is lying, or that it was stolen out of his mailbox.

"Either he has it or it was stolen from his mailbox," Albert told The Journal News. "Either way it's gone and I'm out the money."

Albert added to The Blaze that he is still reeling from the missing Bible, especially because he is still having trouble figuring out where it disappeared to.

"It's a double hit, because the Bible itself is probably worth more than [$7,000] — it was worth $10,000 or $12 000," Albert said. "And I agreed to sell it, because, quite frankly, the economic times in which we're in — I was selling what I have to get by right now."

Albert has reportedly alerted local synagogues and religious artifact collectors in the U.S. to keep their eyes out for the valuable Holy Book, in case someone attempts to re-sell the collectible.